Chapter 6
Trill-Land, ’LoLux Estate
I had just got out of bed, still rubbin’ sleep out my eyes with my hair a mess and body heavy when I reached for the door like it was any other mornin’. The second I pulled it open, two big ass security guards was standin’ right there like statues.
I frowned, lookin’ at both of them. “What’s goin on’? Where my husband?”
Neither of them moved but just stood there like I ain’t even say shit, so I stepped forward anyway, expectin’ them to get the fuck out my way.
One of them lifted his arm just enough to block me, like he already knew how this was about to go. “Mrs. Mensah, you can’t leave the room.”
I blinked at him slow, my attitude shiftin’ quick. “What you mean I can’t leave the room? Where is my husband?”
“Mr. Mensah gave instructions for us to stay posted here and make sure you remain inside.”
I frowned harder, my hand goin’ straight to my stomach when My’Love shifted, like she felt my energy already. “What the fuck you mean he gave you instructions? What does that even mean?”
They ain’t say nothin’ but just continued to stand there like they was trained not to blink.
I sucked my teeth, rubbin’ my belly slow, tryna keep my composure but feelin’ myself gettin’ more pissed by the second. “No, I’m not doin’ this. Move.”
I tried to slide past again, but they shifted just enough to keep me right where I was. That’s when my confusion started turnin’ into somethin’ else.
“Y’all got me fucked up,” I muttered, shakin’ my head. “I don’t know what type of shit this is, but I’m not standin’ here like this all day.”
They stayed exactly where they was, and that’s when the realization started settlin’ in, slow and ugly.
I turned around, grabbed my phone off the bed, and called Kay’Lo, my patience already gone.
He answered like everything was normal. “Wussup, baby?”
“Kay’Lo baby… Why is security outside our room door tellin’ me I can’t leave?”
“I’m out right now,” he said, like that was supposed to smooth shit over.
“I don’t care,” I shot back. “Why am I bein’ watched like this?”
His tone dropped just enough to let me know he was serious. “Toni… you know why.”
I froze for a second, my jaw tightenin’. “Kay’Lo, you cannot be serious right now.”
“I’m dead serious,” he said with no hesitation or softness.
A bitter laugh slipped out of me. “So, I’m locked in a room now? That’s what you decided?”
“You not locked in,” he said, but his voice was firm as hell. “You bein’ watched, and it’s for a reason.”
“I don’t understand what you doin’ right now,” I said, my voice tighter now, my hand still restin’ on my stomach while My’Love shifted again.
“I’m doin’ what I gotta do,” he cut in, calm but firm, like he already made his mind up before I even called. “You movin’ a lil’ wild right now, baby, and I can’t have that.”
My brows pulled together. “Wild? Kay’Lo, what are you—”
“I’m not about to play with this shit. You carryin’ my baby, you about to have her any day now, and you… you slippery.”
I went still, tryna process all this shit…
“Soon as I think I got you situated and put up,” he went on, his voice smooth but tight, “you slippin’ through my hands doin’ whatever you feel like doin’. I gotta break you out of this shit before it gets worse.”
“Kay’Lo…” I said, my voice softer now, but still confused. “So, what? I can’t even step out the room?”
“I’m sayin’ you sittin’ yo’ ass still,” he said, simple as that. “If you need anything, it’s gon’ get handled, but you gon’ stay in the room ’til I get back.”
I muttered, shakin’ my head. “This not cool or fair, Kay―”
“It ain’t about fair,” he replied. “It’s about me makin’ sure you and my daughter is safe. That’s what I’m on, and I don’t give a fuck about nothin’ else. You decided you was gon’ do what you wanna do without talkin’ to me, so now you gotta sit in it.”
I stared ahead, feelin’ that shit settle deep in my stomach, my hand still movin’ slow over my belly while My’Love moved under my palm.
Even though I understood where Kay’Lo was comin’ from, I couldn’t shake how this felt, ’cause yeah, I knew what I did, and I knew why he was movin’ like this, but in my mind, that was one situation.
It was one moment that got outta hand, not somethin’ that meant I needed to be watched every second like I couldn’t be trusted to breathe on my own.
“You treatin’ me like I’m a prisoner or somethin’,” I said, my voice tight. “Like I’m a crazy bitch or some shit, ’Lo.”
“It ain’t even that,” he came back. “I’m treatin’ you like I give a fuck about you. I’m treatin’ you like you my wife, carryin’ my child, and I’m not about to play about that.”
I swallowed, my jaw tight, not likin’ it or agreein’ with it, but hearin’ exactly what he was sayin’ whether I wanted to or not.
Then ,I pulled the phone away from my ear and hung up without sayin’ another word.
When I looked back at the door, them damn guards was still standin’ there like nothin’ had changed, and that’s when it really hit me…
I had just unlocked a whole different side of Kay’Lo.
Ten damn hours passed, and Kay’Lo still had me in the room like I was some fuckin’ child.
No matter how many times I tried to lie here and calm myself down, that shit kept sittin’ on me wrong.
Every time I glanced at the door and remembered it was two big ass guards standin’ right outside like I was finna do somethin’ stupid, it made my chest feel tight in a way I couldn’t shake.
I had been layin’ on my side for a minute with my head sunk into the pillow while my hand stayed glued to my stomach, rubbin’ slow over my belly as My’Love moved under my palm like she could feel everything I was feelin’.
That only made me sigh deeper. I knew exactly why Kay’Lo was actin’ like this, even if I ain’t agree with how he was doin’ it.
A bitch wasn’t dumb, and I knew I fucked up.
But at the same time, bein’ stuck in this damn room like I couldn’t even step out on my own without somebody watchin’ me felt like too much, and I hated that I couldn’t even really argue it the way I wanted to, ’cause deep down, I knew I had put myself in this position.
The sound of the door openin’ pulled me out my thoughts. I turned my head just enough to see Sha’Nelle walkin’ in, her eyes already on me like she was tryna read me before she even got all the way inside.
She pushed the door shut behind her, then looked back at me with that same expression that told me she wasn’t about to let shit slide no more.
“Bitch, what the fuck goin’ on?” she asked, her tone low but serious while she crossed her arms. “Why ’Lo got security outside the door and all around the house like you on punishment or some shit?”
I pushed myself up slow, adjustin’ the pillow behind my back while I tried to keep my face straight, reachin’ for the glass on the tray that was brought up to me earlier, just to give myself somethin’ to do.
“I don’t know,” I said, keepin’ my voice calm even though it ain’t feel calm at all. “You know how he is. He just bein’ extra right now ’cause the baby almost here.”
Sha’Nelle ain’t even blink at that. The bitch just stared at me like she was waitin’ for me to correct myself. When I didn’t, she shook her head like she wasn’t buyin’ it.
“Toni,” she said, sayin’ my name slow like she was warnin’ me. “Bitch… don’t do that.”
“I’m not doin’ nothin’,” I replied, takin’ a sip of the juice, even though I wasn’t really thirsty. “I just said what it is.”
She let out an irritated breath and walked over to the bed, sittin’ down beside me while she angled her body toward mine, her eyes not leavin’ my face.
“Bitch,” she said, her voice low but firm, “’Lo might be crazy, but he ain’t that fuckin’ throwed off.”
My fingers tightened around the glass just a lil’, and I swallowed before I set it back down, my eyes flickin’ toward the door like I needed a second to think.
I pushed myself off the bed without sayin’ nothin’ else and walked over to it, snatchin’ it open just enough to look at the guards standin’ there like they ain’t have nothin’ better to do.
“Can y’all please get away from my door while I’m talkin’?” I asked, already irritated.
They ain’t respond but just stood there lookin’ stupid.
I rolled my eyes and slammed the door in they faces before I turned back around and walked to the bed again, my irritation sittin’ heavier on me now.
I barely had time to settle back into bed before Sha’Nelle spoke again, but this time it wasn’t no attitude behind it or sarcasm. It was more serious, like she had already put the pieces together and just needed me to confirm it.
“You did it, huh?” she asked. Her eyes locked on mine in a way that made it impossible to look anywhere else.
My body went still for a second, and I just sat there lookin’ at her, feelin’ everything I had been holdin’ in press against my chest all at once, but I still couldn’t bring myself to say the words out loud.
But I ain’t need to, ’cause the way I looked at her said enough, and I saw it register on her face the second it clicked. Her expression shiftin’ as she took that in without sayin’ another word.
Sha’Nelle’s face changed instantly, and she bit her bottom lip like she was tryna keep herself together. Her eyes flicked over my face like she was piecin’ it all together in real time.
“I ain’t know what else to do,” I whispered, my voice crackin’ before I could stop it. “I just… I fuckin’ lost it.”
The tears came whether I wanted them to or not, and once they started, I couldn’t hold ’em back. My body started to ache while everything I had been keepin’ in finally started comin’ out.
Sha’Nelle moved closer without hesitation and wrapped her arms around me, pullin’ me into her chest like she was shieldin’ me from everything I was goin’ through.
“Hey… calm down,” she murmured, rubbin’ her hand up and down my back. “I got you, bitch. You hear me? I got you.”